Spanner's IRC Guide

Guide for Caelestia.net's IRC Network

(Most of these commands work with IRC networks running Anope for Services; however some are meant for use on Caelestia IRC & Tel'Laerad IRC networks only.) First things first. IRC is Internet Relay Chat. It's a chat medium that has been around since approximately 1988. Users connect to a server on a network and join rooms called channels. Some IRC clients are web-based. Some are downloadable programs. Examples include Mibbit (for web based) and mIRC (for downloadable use on Windows). The network AE calls home is Caelestia IRC Network.




1) How to Connect to Caelestia IRC network

To connect to Caelestia: Find an IRC client and use /server irc.caelestia.net.

This will connect you to one of the four servers that currently make up the Caelestia IRC network.
They are:

If the irc.caelestia.net one gives errors, users can try one of the servers directly by using /server darkstar.caelestia.net or simply replace "darkstar.caelestia.net" with one of the other three from the above list. (Can also use the numbers listed in place of the respective server.) Sometimes users may need to check their firewall to see if it is blocking port 6667, which is the default for IRC. Other ports to try, should port 6667 be unavailable: 6660-6669, 8067, and for SSL, 6697.

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2) How to find Index of Channels / How to Join Channels

Once connected, users can type /list to see an Index of channels they may join. Simply type /join followed by the room name from the list.

Example:


A list of official channels can be found here.


*Note: Some rooms, like #battleon and #yulgarsinn, require a user to register their nickname before they may join.

*Note: Some rooms, like #adventurequest, #aqworlds, #aqworld, are *not* real channels and people are unable to join them. This makes them the equivalent of a locked thread on forums as since no one can join them, no one can post there. This is because the only official channels for Artix Entertainment discussion are #battleon, #yulgarsinn, and #aq-gaming."


Introducing NickServ....NickServ is a Service on Caelestia's IRC that allows users to create an account on IRC and manage their nickname. This section tells how to register a nickname and use the more common nickname management tools.

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3) How to register your nickname on Caelestia IRC: Two Part Process

3a) Step 1: Register Nickname Command

/msg nickserv register password email

Replace "password" with password of your choice & "email" with your email address. Yes, email address is required. Valid email is recommended to receive the passcode needed to confirm registration.

Example: /msg nickserv register apple someone@domain.com

*Note: NickServ passwords are *case* sensitive!! This means if user typed password "apple" as "aPPle", they *must* type it as "aPPle" when signing in after account creation.

3b) Step 2: Confirming Nickname Registration

Like many sites these days, Caelestia IRC requires email verification to confirm accounts created. Use the Auth Code found in the email sent via Services that was requested in Step 1 in the following manner:

/msg nickserv confirm passcode

Replace "passcode" with the auth/passcode from your email. Example of email to expect: [From: services@mail.caelestia.net / Subject: Nickname Registration (YourNicknameHere) ]

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4) Tips for Successful nick registration:

  • Kindly check spam/bulk folders

  • Known account domains that may not work: aol.com, aim.com

  • Please note that sometimes email containing your auth code may take a bit to arrive.

  • To check for nickname availability: /msg nickserv DesiredNicknameHere info

  • Spaces are NOT allowed in IRC nicknames. However, users may use the [dash] and [underscore].

  • Nicknames may *not* begin with a number on IRC. Also some symbols aren't allowed in nicknames. If a nickname that contains "illegal" characters is attempted, an error message of "Erroneous Nickname" will result in the user's status/server window.
    Example: When attempting to use /nick 4, "4 Erroneous Nickname" was error message

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    5) How to Test For Successful Nick Registration:

    Users may check to see if registration was successful by using any one of the following:

    A) /msg nickserv NicknameHere info or B) /whois NicknameHere or C) /msg nickserv status NicknameHere

  • Command A will either return registration information or nicknamehere is not registered
  • Command B will either show Nicknamehere is a Registered Nickname or it will not
  • Command C will either return a number value of 3 for registered/identified or 0 for not registered

    For Nicks that are already Registered:

  • Command A will return registration information
  • Command B will show "NicknameHere is a Registered Nick" (IF it has been identified with Services) OR it will not (IF it has NOT been identified with Services)
  • Command C will return a number value of 3 for registered/identified nicks or 1 for registered, but not identified

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    6) How to Sign Into Your IRC Account

    When users decide to return to Caelestia IRC after a disconnection, they may use /msg nickserv identify password to sign into their IRC account.

    *Note: NickServ passwords are *case* sensitive!! This means if user typed password "apple" as "aPPle", they *must* type it as "aPPle" when signing in after account creation.

    *Note: Users may need to renick before they can sign in. To do this, simply type /nick RegisteredNickHere and replace RegisteredNickHere with the nickname used when registered.

    *Note: There may be times when users are UNable to sign into their IRC account. Usually, the message "Nickserv: no such nick/channel" shows in Status/connection window/tab and BotServ bots (like Aria in #battleon) will NOT be in channels like normal. This means that Services are down!! Users may /join #help and ask about it, may wait patiently for them to return, or may ask a Staff member they know with whom they share a channel. Staff members try to bring back Services as they can. However, this may take some time at times.

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    7) How to Have Multiple Nicknames Under the Same Account:

    Users who have a registered nick but wish to register another may use /nick NewNick *then* /msg nickserv group OriginalNickname OriginalNick'Password

    Example: B is registered nickname and wish to also use C. User B would type: /nick C then /msg nickserv group B PasswordForBHere

    *Note: NickServ allows 10 nicks per group. Grouped nicks use same password for sign in and same email for password retrieval. Grouped nicks also grant same channel access to all nicks in that group. Example: If User B has grouped nick C to B and receives +h upon join of #chan from ChanServ or the BotServ bot, then they would also receive +h from ChanServ or the BotServ bot when joining #chan as nick C.

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    8) What To Do If Nickname Is In Use:

  • Use of Ghost Command:
    Upon connection, if user's registered nickname is in use, they may use /msg nickserv ghost NickInUse NickInUse'sPassword *then* can use that nickname again.

  • Ping Timeout:
    Usually, this is when a user has disconnected before the server realizes the user has disconnected and is known as ghost. Ghosts on IRC is leftover data from the previous connection. Users may also wait til the server realizes the connection has died and the nick is no longer needed, which results in the message "Ping timeout" or "ping time out: 121 seconds".

    Basically, waiting 121 seconds will free up your nickname :)

  • Requesting a Kill from a Staff Member (Oper/IRCop/Netop)

    Users may also request a /kill on the in use nick from Staff.

    This can be done one of three ways:

  • /join #help and request there
  • Contacting an IRCop/Oper in channel you share with them directly
  • By /query Opername

    When users request a /kill from an Oper/IRCop, they should specify the nickname they wish to be killed.

    *Note: It is sometimes helpful to "highlight" an active Staff member by using their nickname in the request.

    Example: <UserB> *OperNameHere*, please kill UserA.

    *Note There are times when Services are down and the Ghost command is UNavailable. However, users may still wait for their nickname to ping timeout or may request a kill from a Staff member.

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    9) Setting Privacy/Optional Options: How to Use the 'Set' Command

  • Changing Password: /msg nickserv set password NewPasswordHere

    Use to change your IRC account password. Simply replace 'NewPasswordHere' with your new password

  • Greet: /msg nickserv set greet GreetTextHere

    This is where user joins a channel and the botserv bot seems to speak, showing the text user chose. This usually happens user has appropiate access in a channel.

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    10) Four Simple but Important Commands for Use in Managing Your Account

  • To Refresh Your Account: /msg nickserv update

  • To List Nicknames in your group: /msg nickserv glist

  • To List Channels for which you have special privileges: /msg nickserv alist

  • To See Your Account Information: /msg nickserv info NicknameHere (For full profile, use /msg nickserv info NicknameHere all

    This shows date registered, date last used that particular nickname, greet (if one is set), email address, nickname options that are set, last seen host/vhost, and last seen quit message.

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    11) How to Ungroup a Grouped Nickname / Cancel an IRC Account Completely:

  • Users may cancel registration for a specific nick by using /nick NickToDrop then /msg NickServ drop

  • Users may also allow a nickname in their nick group to expire by not using /nick Nickname then /msg nickserv identify password on a specific Nickname in 21 days.

    Example: UserA last used nickname today and wishes to use UserB from now on. If UserB does not use the UserA nickname in the next 21 days as described in part 6), it will drop automatically.

    *Note: Ungrouping a nickname from your nick group does NOT cause loss of special privileges or memos as long as at least one nick from your group remains registered. It may however, affect your HostServ vhost as these are often nickname specific.

    How to Cancel an IRC Account Completely

    [**] Users may cancel their IRC account *completely* for a nick by using /nick NickToDrop then /msg NickServ drop for each nick in their nick group

    [**]Users may also allow all nicknames in their nick group to expire by not using /nick Nickname then /msg nickserv identify password on any Nickname in their group in 21 days.

    *Note: When using the "Cancel IRC Account Completely" information, ALL account information for you will be lost. This includes all special channel privileges, memos, vhosts and other items in Services relating to your IRC account. Users will need to register their nickname again to join channels that require it.

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    12) Private Chat with Another IRC User:

  • PMing Users on IRC

    To converse privately with another user, users may PM other users. On IRC, PM is also known as Query.

    Use /query nickname or /msg nickname

  • To Contact a Registered IRC user who is Offline:

    Registered users may leave an offline message for another registered user by using the network's Message system known as MemoServ. These offline messages may then be read by the intended user when they sign into their IRC account. This is like IRC version of AE forums' PM system.

    Use /msg memoserv send nickname message

    If wish to receive notice the user read the memo:

    Use /msg memoserv rsend nickname message

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    13) How to Create and Register a Channel:

    Step 1: /join #ChannelNameOfYourChoiceHere

    Step 2: /msg chanserv register #ChannelNameOfYourChoiceHere password description

    Everything in Step 2 above is *required* to register a channel. Replace everything *after* register with your own information.

    Note: Channal password is meant to show proof you own the channel. It also gives ability for co-founder. It is not needed to join a channel.

    13a) Renaming Bot

    When register a channel on Caelestia, a bot will join the channel. By default, the bot's name is [DefaultMan]. However, users may "change" the name of the bot by assigning a different one to their channel.

  • Use /msg botserv botlist to see the list of bots available.

  • Use /msg botserv assign #ChannelNameOfYourChoiceHere BotNameHere to assign a different to channel

    13b) How to Change or Add a topic:

    Use /topic #ChannelNameOfYourChoiceHere text or /msg chanserv topic #ChannelNameOfYourChoiceHere text to edit/change the topic. Topic is the text a user sees when they join a channel such as #help.

    13c) How to Add Voices and Chanops: XOP and Access Systems

  • Adding under XOP System:

    Use /msg chanserv [vop/hop/aop/sop] #ChannelNameOfYourChoiceHere add NicknameHere

    Choose one of the levels in [ ]....vop is voice/+, hop is halfop/%, aop is op/@, and sop is admin/&.

    Example: /msg chanserv sop #ChannelNameOfYourChoiceHere add NicknameHere would add the user as channel admin. Symbol is &, though some clients may show it as a red colored blob. Regardless of symbol or color, the channel bot always has channel admin.

    To switch from XOP to Access system:

  • Turn off XOP to use Access system:

    Use /msg chanserv set #ChannelNameOfYourChoiceHere xop off

  • Adding under Access System:

    Use /msg chanserv access #ChannelNameOfYourChoiceHere add NicknameHere #

    Replace # with 3 for voice/+, 4 for halfop/%, 5-9 for op/@, and 10-9999 for admin/&.

    Note: Channel registration can only be done while in a registered nickname that has been identified with Services.

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    14) Common Commands For Chanops: (Requires %,@,&,~/Modes +h,+o,+ao,+qo)

    What are the commands for a person with a % in front of their name? [% is usually halfop. (defaults: xop system = hop / access list system = 4 / Services sets mode +h in the channel on join (or on sign in)]

    Kick: /kick #channel nick reason

    Ban: 10 diff ban types (choose one)

    /mode #channel +b *!user@host
    /mode #channel +b *!*user@host
    /mode #channel +b *!*@host
    /mode #channel +b *!*user@*.host
    /mode #channel +b *!*@*.host
    /mode #channel +b nick!user@host
    /mode #channel +b nick!*user@host
    /mode #channel +b nick!*@host
    /mode #channel +b nick!*user@*.host
    /mode #channel +b nick!*@*.host

    UNban:

    /mode #channel -b *!user@host
    /mode #channel -b *!*user@host
    /mode #channel -b *!*@host
    /mode #channel -b *!*user@*.host
    /mode #channel -b *!*@*.host
    /mode #channel -b nick!user@host
    /mode #channel -b nick!*user@host
    /mode #channel -b nick!*@host
    /mode #channel -b nick!*user@*.host
    /mode #channel -b nick!*@*.host


    Give voice:

    /mode #channel +v Nick

    Take away voice:

    /mode #channel -v Nick

    Change topic:

    /topic #channelname TopicTextHere

    For Caelestia, can also use:

    NPC - To use: /npc #channel NPCNAME text (Example: /npc #channel Bob Hello == <Bob> Hello )
    NPCA - To use: /npca #channel NPCANAME text (Example: /npca #channel Bob waves == * Bob waves )

    Ambiance - To use: /ambiance #channel : text (Example: /ambiance #channel : Raindrops fall = <>Ambiance<> Raindrops fall)

    (Still to come: Commands for +o (and higher), for +ao (and higher), and for +qo only)



    ~Still a work in progress~